Kosher Countdown

Consume as much pizza and pasta as you can; Passover is less than a week away. Time to clean out your shelves and replace most of your foodstuffs with kosher-for-Passover (KfP) items. Buh-bye bread, hello matzah. Many people also change their wine selections during this holiday and only drink Kosher wines. Luckily, this doesn't mean Manischewitz for a week straight; there are some great Kosher wine options out there. I was fortunate to receive several bottles for sampling and will review them in this week leading up to the first Seder so you have some solid options for the big dinners and beyond. Let the Kosher Countdown begin!

To start things off, I selected an intriguing New World option: The Pacifica - Evan's Collection, Pinot Noir, Oregon, 2010. Oregon's wine industry essentially started in the 1960s when pioneering winemakers started successfully growing European varietals. Over time, many grapes have thrived, but the state's cool climate has especially been successful for the Pinot Noir grape.

The winemaker, Phillip Jones, originally hailed from New Zealand, where he created wines for nearly 20 years. He and his wife noticed an opportunity to create kosher wines in this emerging region and started the Pacifica label.

On the nose, this wine showcases black fruits and spices with dominant layers of earth and soil. On the palate, the body leans towards a fuller New World style, as opposed to a light-bodied Burgundy; however, I'd say it was still medium minus. Again, the palate echoes many of the characteristics the nose found, along with moderate acid and tannins. Elegant and structured, the fruits ripened as the wine opened up but still maintained the balance of the savory tones. It's a rather high 14.5% ABV, which I found somewhat surprising; however, this could come in handy if your seder falls into the "we're taking 5 hours to go through the whole Haggadah" camp. Overall, it's a delicious option, regardless of its Kosher certification, and a worthwhile wine to seek out.